Hornchurch manager Jimmy McFarlane praised the supporters who made the long trip to Lowestoft for the Ryman Premier play-off final on Bank Holiday Monday and also those to have supported the club all year.

Three coaches took supporters up to the Suffolk coast and many more made their own way to Crown Meadow, but unfortunately for them Hornchurch couldn’t secure promotion back to Conference South.

Lowestoft Town ran out deserved 3-0 winners but McFarlane thanked the efforts of the travelling supporters.

“It is unbelievable for a little pub team in Essex to take three coachloads of supporters and that is without the other people because we had a mini bus as well,” he said.

“I have been involved in non-league football for a long time and if you’ve got 2,500 people it is easy to make noise, but we have gone to some places with 30 or 40 people and they have been noisier than the home team.

“These fans are the best I have ever been involved with and I have been involved with some big clubs. They have been top, top drawer.

“Like all fans they have a grizzle but that is frustration, not because they want to moan, that is because they want the team to do well.

“Their drive is the same as ours, they want to win every week, so do we, and I take my hat off to them, they are absolutely fantastic.”

McFarlane also revealed his admiration for captain Elliot Styles, who unfortunately failed a fitness test hours before the big match.

Hornchurch’s manager believes his skipper is an example to everyone in non-league football, adding: “Elliot has been immense all year and this club and football team means so much to him.

“I was absolutely gutted for him when he failed a fitness test because he does everything correctly. He trains right, does everything.

“If I had 11 Elliot Styles we wouldn’t have been in the play-offs, we would have won the league. He is an example to everyone on how things should be done in non-league football.”